Race-course construction



July. 1927' J. F. JENNiNGS 1634326 RACE COURSE CONSTRUCTION FiledDec. 1. 1926 M JMA/QM attomcq stares earsnr oFFics.

JOHN 1*. JENNINGS, or CLEVELAND, onro.

RAGE-COURSE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed December 1, 1926. Serial No. 151,883.

The customary construction of a race course includes a home and a backstretch with connecting curves, and an inside boundary line whichextends along the stretches tangentially to the curved portions.

During a race the constant effort of the contestants to gain the pole isparticularly noticeable at the beginning of the stretches where themajority of accidents, especially in horse racing, occur.

The principal object of the present inven-' tion is to construct a racecourse which permits maneuvering of the contestants at the beginning ofthe stretches with less danger than on present forms of courses.Moreover my invention contemplates an improved race course constructionwhich may be adapted to present courses without materially changing theconstruction of the same.

My invention is shown as applied to both the home and back stretches inFigs. 1 and 3, while Fig. 2 shows the application only to the homestretch; Fig. 3 moreover shows the relationship between the old and newforms 01 race course construction.

I have indicated a race course embodying my invention as embodying atrackwaiy havingan inner boundary 10 and an outer boundary 11. Thetracliway has a home and back stretch. the ends of which are connectedby curves 1% and 15 respectively. As shown in Fig. l the inner boundaryhas a straight portion 16 which near the beginning of the home stretchis ottset from the inner bound my 17 ot the curve 14, while the end ofthe home stretch extends tangentially to the inner boundary 18 of thecurve 15. Similarly the straight portion 19 on the inner boundary of theback stretch is oti'set near the beginning of the stretch from the curve18, but at the end of the stretch is disposed tangentially to the curve17. This offset relationship of the straight and curved portions of theinner boundary is illustrated in Fig. l. as being on both the home andback stretches, but in Fig. 2 it is shown only on the home stretch.

By making the inner boundary of the stretches offset with relation tothe end of one or? the curves, 1 provide an additional track area, whichmay be used for enabling one contestant to pass another on the inside,and thereby eliminating, to great extent, the dangers incident tothemaneuvers of competitors at the beginning of the stretch. 3y proiding a track rule that any contestant who has the pole at the end ofthe curve, must proceed in a straight line down the stretch, then thefollowing contestant who may be boxed in at the curve can pass theformer pole holder on the inside while on the stretch. This not onlytends to minimize accidents, but also tends to speed up a race.

In adapting my invention to present forms of race courses, I show inFig. 3 my improved t'orm of course in full lines and the present form ofcourse in dotted lines. To employ my invention, it is only necessary toextend the. end of the curve outwardly beboundary 23 at the beginning ofeach curve may be modified to a slight extent. This modification willonly require the construction of a relatively small proportion of newtrack area at the beginning of the curves.

By means of my invention, new race courses may be constructed atsubstantially the same cost as the present form of course,

' while existing courses may be readily moditied in an inexpensivemanner. My invention is useful in that it minimizes the danger incidentto the operation of race courses.

I claim:

1. A. race course having curves and connecting stretches, there being aninward oilset on the inner boundary of one of the stretches.

2. A race course having curves and con necting stretches, and having theinner boundary of at least one of the stretches offset inwardly from atangent to the end of the inner boundary of one of the curves.

3. A race course having an inner boundary comprising curves and straightportions, at least one of the straight portions on the inner boundaryextending tangentially to the beginning of one of the curves at one endor the track, and being offset from a tangent to the end of the curve atthe opposite end of the track.

4. A race course having an inner boundary tangentially to the beginningof one of the 10 curves at one end of the track and having a portionextending obliquely from a tangent to the end of'the curve attheopposite end of the track,

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflixrny 15 signature.

JOHN F. JENNINGS.

